Drink to That
by NCISgirl1527
Summary: Natasha and Lady Sif go out for drinks and discuss things including a conversation Sif had when she went out drinking with another S.H.I.E.L.D. operative: Agent Peggy Carter.


_**First of all this was a request from a friend that I owed a favor…and so it fits into the MCU kind tenuously. It's set kind of after The Avengers but before Thor: The Dark World. Mostly it's just fun so don't think about chronology too hard… Enjoy.**_

_**Disclaimer: Not mine.**_

_**Spoilers: The Avengers and maybe Captain America: The First Avenger**_

"So how's it been going?" Natasha asked, lounging back in her chair as she slowly sipped her drink.

"Rather calm actually," Sif replied casually, "Thor has become so enchanted by Earth he has become rather less rash in his decisions. I must say it is a welcome change."

Natasha laughed.

"But I forget," Sif said, "you too have fought along side him."

"Yeah," Natasha agreed, "Thor, Stark, Banner, Clint, Steve. We destroyed half of New York in the process, but I think we won."

"You won the battle," Sif said pensively, "The war is far from over. Loki is in custody, but I doubt he will stay there indefinitely, and there will always be more like him."

Natasha shrugged. "There will always be more like him," she said, "There will always be more like us."

Sif nodded thoughtfully. "Yes," she said, "I suppose there will be." She paused. "You remind me of someone else I met once." Natasha raised an eyebrow. "She was an agent too. Peggy Carter, perhaps you knew her?"

Natasha looked at Sif. "Peggy Carter?" she asked, sitting up a little straighter in her chair.

"Yes."

"We never met," Natasha said, "she retired before I was," she paused, "recruited, but I've heard about her." Her tone was almost reverent.

"I was in New York," Sif said, "We had drinks."

"S.H.I. . doesn't have records of Asgaurdians coming to earth before Thor," Natasha pointed out.

"I believe the list of happenings S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn't have records of would fill several books."

"Perhaps," Natasha replied noncommittally, taking another sip of her drink.

"Agent Carter did not meet with me as a representative of the agency," Sif explained, sipping her own drink, "We met in pursuit of a case of mutual interest. I was of assistance, and she kept my involvement out of the official record. Later we went out to have some drinks."

"What was that like?" Natasha asked.

Sif smiled.

"_So do you come here often?" Peggy asked as a waiter set their drinks on the table._

"_I visit earth on occasion," Sif said noncommittally, "Contact with the other worlds has proven to be of value to Asgaurd in the past."_

"_So your visit is an official one?" Peggy said, stirring her drink with her right index finger._

"_Not precisely," Sif replied, "But I am allowed a certain degree of freedom to respond to threats as I perceive them."_

"_I have similar prerogatives," Peggy told her, "Except mine come from the failure of my male colleagues to pay very much attention to where I go or what I do." _

"_Our situations are not so different," Sif commented. "You too have fought bravely in war."_

"_I did what was required," she replied, "As I do now."_

"_You miss him." It wasn't really a question, and Peggy raised an eyebrow. "Captain America," Sif clarified, "I am not unaware of your history or of your heroes." _

_Peggy did not respond._

"_I know what it is to love a hero," Sif said, her casual tone tinged with the tiniest hint of emotion._

"_I miss him," Peggy conceded, "But time moves forward and so must I."_

"_So you devote your life to protecting the same country he died in the service of," Sif said. _

"_I was working with the SSR when I met Steve," Peggy pointed out, "But yes, he is part of the reason why I stayed."_

"_Do you find it infuriating?" Sif asked, "Knowing that men who you fought along side, who you led into battle, regard you as lesser now that the war is over?"_

_Peggy shrugged. "I was never a soldier," she pointed out, "And the men I work with will grow to respect me. I find it hard to believe the ones you work with don't."_

_Sif shook her head noncommittally. "Some of them do," she said, "maybe even most of them, but there are still groups."_

"_There will always be groups," Peggy said, "They don't matter."_

"_I'll drink to that," Sif said lifting her glass. Peggy smiled and bumped her glass against the Asgaurdian's._

"_I assume you will return to Asgaurd now that your work here is finished," Peggy said after a time._

"_I will," Sif confirmed, "I'll probably be back at some point. This world of yours is reasonably poor at keeping itself out of trouble."_

_Peggy laughed. "I suppose we are," she agreed, "and we could always use a guardian."_

_Sif smiled. "I think your time for heroes is just beginning," she told Peggy, "Earth will have its guardians; it will forge them."_

_Peggy didn't say anything. It didn't seem a statement to question, just one to accept._

"Wow," Natasha said, rather impressed.

"I was not wrong," Sif pointed out, taking another sip of her beer, "Earth has forged its heroes; you among them."

"We do our best," Natasha replied, "You said we won the battle not the war, and I suspect you are right about that too."

"Probably," Sif said with a shrug, "but if this world of your has proved anything, it is that you have an incredible adeptness for survival."

Natasha nodded. "That we do," she agreed, "Although it might not be a bad idea to try and avoid getting into trouble for a while."

Sif laughed. "I'll drink to that."

_**Thanks for reading.**_


End file.
